oops never mind, already been said
More likely that she had one GREAT book in her. She probably had other books, but what could possibly meet the expectations of people. Rather than disappoint, she hasn’t published (she is believed by many to still write, I wouldn’t be surprised, however if what she has written is all destroyed at her death).
I always here this as well. I hope he’s not crazy enough to destroy them when he becomes terminally ill. I want them to be published after he dies.
He might be mental enough.
His daughter has mentioned in interviews that she wants to publish it all while I think her brother has the opposite opinion.
Harper Lee came through Dadeville, Alabama about 1976 or '77. She was talking to people and copying old documents from the Tallapoosa County courthouse, where I was working at the time. She told me she was getting background information to write a book about Alabama ghosts, but I ain’t seen no ghost book yet.
Outstanding!
One of my favorite photographs.
As others have noted, Harper Lee isn’t a complete recluse. She’s continued to do low-key public appearances at schools, and seems to have an active social life within her community.
She just never had an urge to be a celebrity.
I read an interesting article some time ago about Gregory Peck (my namesake by the way) and Atticus Finch being an almost perfect match of actor to character. Peck knew as soon as he read the script that he wanted to play the role. The same article also mentioned and dismissed the rumor of Truman Capote being the real author. I wish I could remember where I read it.
Recently a letter emerged that put an end to the rumors that Capote wrote all or part of Mockingbird. In the letter, Capote mentions in 1959 that Lee is writing a book and that he had seen part of it: http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2006/02/27/news/news01.txt
Cool - thanks for adding that nice bit of info!
A nice piece about Harper Lee from the NYT two years ago. You might have to sign in to read it, but it’s free: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/books/30lee.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Yep. I spoke to her two or three times and didn’t know who she was other than a nice, well spoken, tall old lady in jeans and a sweater. The U of AL though wants her papers so bad they can taste it and so there’s almost a hex placed to alert any dean in earshot when she comes in.
Also, soon after she stopped coming to the library she did- completely unexpectedly- accept an invitation to speak at a benefit for a girls’ charity at the U of AL Special Collections library. She signed autographs there as well, but only for the little girls in attendance. (Not as snooty as it sounds: I’m told the last time she had a signing on campus [many years ago] there was a line that stretched to Illinois.)
I’d love to know what she was researching. I was a government docs librarian at the time and I don’t think it’s any violation of confidence to mention she requested some old congressional hearings and older census docs (which other than the odd statistics or poli-sci students are most often used by genealogists). Always very nice, even when spotted/surrounded, though again I don’t think it’s coincidence that’s when she stopped coming around. (I wonder if she knows how to surf the net?)
She did write that unsolicited “these kids today” piece for Oprah (the magazine) a couple of years ago, but it’s just basically like a “letter to the editor”.
I join the chorus of “there is no way in Hell Truman Capote (brilliant as his writing could be) would ever have written a Pulitzer Prize winning beloved American classic and kept quiet about it” believers. I think it was his love for Lee that kept him from claiming he did; if he hadn’t liked her I’m sure he’d have sworn he wrote it, somewhere between his affair with Eleanor Roosevelt and his discovery of DNA (and three-way with Watson and Crick). I don’t doubt he may have given her advice or proof-read but I doubt he did anything substantive; in fact I’d be less surprised to learn that she wrote part of In Cold Blood.
From the NY Times article: “Ms. Lee lives with her 94-year-old sister, Alice, a lawyer who still practices, and keeps an apartment in New York.”
what area of law would a 94 year old be practising??
Age discrimination?
Some people love their profession too much to give it up just because they’re approaching a century. The doctor who delivered both my girlfriend and her mother is still practicing at 96.
And, just maybe, if he keeps practicing, he will eventually get it right.
So…she’s been ghostwriting, then?
When Harper Lee came out to L.A. for a big library fundraiser, she came by train. Donors, who ponied up big bucks, were told not to expect her to say anything to them. But I believe she did mingle a bit. She was given a award and wasn’t even expected to give an acceptance speech, but she did say, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Lee came out as a favor to Gregory Peck’s widow, who sponsored the fundraiser.
Now that would be an interesting sequel to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. In 2008 Tom Robinson’s great-grandson is defended by Scout in the shooting death of his record label producer.
“…and will prove that he did willfully and with malice and aforethought murder Mr. Knight in cold blood.”
Judge: The defense will give its opening.
Scout: “… huh?? Lord lord lordy… sure is hot… I remember one time my daddy Atticus said to me Scout I think I’d like to go to a picture show and see Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and I said 'Atticus, if we do that let’s stop and get some hamburgers at the cafe… this was back when Mr. Lionel Lennox had the gas station and grill and you could get hamburgers his wife made two for a quarter! Cost you almost a dollar to get a good meal today! Atticus always ate his just covered in mustard… you know who else had good food was that place round I-65 on the Creek Indian place… what was it called? Atmore Buffet I think it was… defense rests.”
:golf clap:
The judge and jury, melting with nostalgia: “Not guilty!”